International arrest warrant issued for 41-year-old rugby legend found guilty of forgery and squandering thousands of club money

AN INTERNATIONAL arrest warrant has been issued for the rugby legend.

A French court has found former Australian captain Rocky Elsom guilty of forgery and misuse of corporate assets.

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He was accused of illegal activity while serving as president of French rugby club Narbonne in 2015–2016.

According to French media reports, the former Wallabies flanker was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison on Friday.

Elsom (41) was ordered to repay £586,000 of wasted wealth which he embezzled before leaving Narbonne.

He is said to have paid his former coach £66,000 without any justification.

Elsom also allegedly employed someone from Australia for £6,000 a month, but he provided no services to Narbonne.

Australian investment fund FGM acquired Narbonne in 2011, and Elsom was the company’s majority shareholder, having briefly joined the club at the end of his career in 2014.

The French team, which won the French title in 1936 and 1979, went into liquidation in 2018 amid ongoing financial problems.

Born in Melbourne, Elsom started out in rugby league with the Canterbury Bulldogs before switching to rugby union.

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From 2005 to 2011, he played 75 matches for the Australian national team.

Elsom scored 70 points, featured in the 2011 World Cup and even captained the Wallabies 22 times.

The 180cm second-rower also had the opportunity to play for Leinster and was man of the match in the 2009 Heineken Cup final victory against Leicester Tigers.

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Elsom revealed he had returned to Dublin, working as a school coach, leaving his construction business in Queensland.

He said: “I’m recovering from an injury and this is a good place to do it.

“I have people there who are very good. They don’t need me right now, so I’m happy about that.”

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